Since Google Chrome OS announcement has came down the pipeline from officials, most of reviewers on the web found themselves in tireless trial of opposing Chrome OS to Windows 7, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Linux (Mint mostly). This all is very interesting and I recon debates will not stop even when Win 7 and Chrome OS will both be out of beta. Yet there could be a point missed in these discussions. Google underlines web orientation of the announced operating system, which in few words means it will do everything perfectly well until you decide to launch an app installed on your netbook, old PC, you name it, rather than using resources of web servers. Windows 7 on the other hand is meant to be everything for everyone. Therefore they are not quite in the same league. So, here is what we are going to do then – stack up Chrome OS with Jolicloud.Jolicloud leaked in late '08. Tariq Krim, founder of Netvibes don't you know, and his team of two are basically the only people behind the whole project. He was the first to pronounce a lightweight web orientated OS for netbooks. Even though rumors about Google OS have appeared much earlier, right after Google browser has offered faster web experience despite being in beta I think, first official statement goes to Jolicloud. In fact there was no such thing as "web OS" back then (do not mess with Palm webOS). Anyway, what we have here is two operating systems which have in common, well, practically everything:
- Linux kernel
- Open source platform
- Web orientation and custom browsers
- Low system requirements
- Wide compatibility
- Plans for a powerful developer community
That's a rear thing to see so many matches today, isn't it? It might even appear that what we are having here is a great idea of one ripped off by another. I'd be careful here because this is not likely. Still, there are also important distinctions.
Google has the best search engine at the moment and many popular web services along that. This is their territory, this is where they earn money. Making an Internet operating system they are trying to enhance popularity of their prime source of income. Where Jolicloud has emerged from pure desire to give netbooks a needed eased up software environment.
How will these affect their market shares? Well, having larger developer power behind its shoulders, Chrome OS will plausibly have less glitches and bugs and be more flexible, because fixing serious problems is nothing like it is for Tariq Krim and mates. There is also a sense that Google will not lay off and go on and on promoting Chrome OS, and Jolicloud, who knows how they will react to different obstacles, whether they even will. I just can not have the same credence in both.
Jolicloud is now available in Alpha 2b version, that's a 600MB download. Be sure to check availability list before testing it. As a consumer advice though, with which in mind I started this showdown, do not get used to Jolicloud so far – there might something even better cooking. With the whole respect to Tariq Krim, he would be so much better of if he were half a year faster.
